April 5, 2006
So, on a calm Wednesday morning at 6 AM, with both a newly buffed gel coat, new coat of bottom paint, all the varnish with a new coat of Cetal light gloss, and the engine revved and ready to go (minus the throttle system), Nesaru slipped back into the water. By 8 AM, my family and I were headed north out of Budd Inlet towards Boston Harbor. It had been a painful 48 hours. The work on the boat had taken its toll on my body and mind, as well as my family’s sanity. However, Barb and I eased into a sense of quiet pleasure as we heard the engines soft purr. Our first stop was to be the small town of Steilacoom, where we were to link up with an old friend I had worked with in Iraq while assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment during the assault on Samarrah and the movement north into Mosul and Tal Afair. His name was Tony Wingfield, but I affectionately called him “Wing Ding.” It took us longer to motor sail to Steilacoom then we had originally planned for. So with the main sail up, we worked our way through Budd Inlet to the lighthouse at Boston Harbor near Dover Point, then through Dana’s Passage, past Hartsten Island, then through Drayton Passage South of the Devils Head and North of Johnston Point, between Key Peninsula and Anderson Island. We then traveled through Baic Passage south of McNeil Island into the Nisqually Reach to Steilacoom, where “Wing Ding” and his family met us at the Ferry Pier, and brought us to his home for a wonderful lunch his mother had prepared for us, who was visiting at the time. We have to admit that the people we meet on these trips, as well as the friends and relationships we continue to perpetuate through them, is half the zeal we have for sailing. The cups of coffee and conversations are as therapeutic as being on a brood reach in a cool breeze.
Steilacoom is a wonderful city, with easy access to the waterfront for boaters from the ferry peer. The city has a rich heritage, and has maintained a very authentic “old town” feel to it. A review of its history gives one a real taste for the ancient North West coast line. This exert was taken from the webpage, http://www.steilacoom.org/index.html, “Steilacoom, known throughout the region for its preservation of "small town" ideals and community values, has grown considerably since its founding in 1854. Long before English explorer, Capt. George Vancouver sailed through the area in the late 1700's, a rich, Native American culture flourished. Northwest coastal tribes in this area relied on the plentiful cedar trees which provided bark for their clothing and building materials for their canoes and long houses. Abundant supplies of fish, deer, roots, and berries provided ample food for a tribe that populated the area known as Steilacoom. During the pre-contact period, the Steilacoom’s were an independent tribe, inhabiting the Tacoma drainage basin. Six hundred Native Americans, known as the Steilacoom’s, lived in five bands within an area encompassing several lakes: Spanaway, Snake, Sequalitchew, Gravelly, American, and Steilacoom. Their main village on Chambers Bay was called "scht'ileq wem" later Anglicized as Steilacoom The Steilacoom’s, a Puget Sound Salish People, culturally and linguistically resembled the neighboring Nisqually tribe, and during the 1850's and later sometimes were identified with them in records. When nearby Ft. Nisqually (near the site of present-day Dupont) was established in 1833 as a Hudson's Bay fur trading post, the Steilacoom people not only supplied furs and fish, but they also served as guides, shepherds, and skilled laborers. Later, similar cooperative relationships existed with the soldiers at Ft. Steilacoom. Horses, which arrived in the area in the early 1800's, were rapidly integrated into the tribal culture. Early photos of road building on what is now Steilacoom Blvd., shows Steilacoom Indians with teams of horses working along side the settlers on the construction. In 1854, the Steilacoom’s were among the signers to the Treaty of Medicine Creek, between the U.S. and nine named tribes. The treaty provided for the establishment of three reservations: Squaxin Island, Nisqually, and Puyallup. A reservation was not created for the Steilacoom’s. At present time the tribe has 371 members, its nine member tribal council meets monthly, and continues to work on the tribe's status. A tribal cultural center, which features displays about the tribe's history, is housed in the former Oberlin Congregational Church on Lafayette and Pacific. They offer special social programs for their elders and youths.”
After lunch Tony and his wife, Monika, accompanied us back to the boat, where Barb and I relinquished command to them, and begin instructions on how to sail an, “old gaffer.” With a wonderful bit of luck that could have only been a blessing from G-d, the wind picked up right as we cast off, and on a brood reach pushed us North through the Narrows East of Fox Island to Dalco Passage, then onward all the way to our next destination, Gig Harbor. With 10-15 knots of wind, Tony was thrilled with the experience. While I’ll admit under protest that Nesaru may not be able to cut as closely to weather as some of her more modern Bermudian sloop counterparts, no one can run as well as she when her sheets are out and the wind is on her back. It was simply a perfect sail. I could not help but wonder as we passed under the Narrows Bridge if life could really be any better. The children were acting… controllable, we were with close friends, and Nesaru was handling wonderfully at a good 8-9 knots under full sail. Once we reached Gig Harbor, we had to tack several times to position ourselves to enter its narrow bay. This proved to be the most challenging part of the sail, as we were required to drop sail and start the engine simultaneously while using our new “Jerry Rigged” engine throttle system. There was some yelling involved, but eventually we were able to enter the sheltered waters of Gig Harbor. We docked at Arabella's Landing, a beautiful marina very close to elegant restaurants, coffee shops, antique stores, and other such small town oddities.
Gig Harbor’s history is perhaps as lush as is Steilacoom’s. Here is an excerpt from http://www.gigharborchamber.com/history2.html, “Gig Harbor's history is a rich tapestry of pioneers in fishing, mills, farms, steamboats, ferries and bridges. The area was named in 1841 during the U.S. Exploring Expedition commanded by Captain Charles Wilkes. During a storm, several longboats and the Captain's “gig,” which is a small boat, sought shelter in a small bay. Later, Captain Wilkes named the haven that sheltered them “Gig Harbor.” In 1867, fisherman Sam Jerisich became one of the first white settlers on the shores of Gig Harbor. Others arrived from Norway, Sweden and Croatia and lived side by side with the Native American people. Commercial fishing and related industries, like boat building, dominated the local economy and rhythm of life in the community for more than 100 years. Several sawmills also operated in Gig Harbor from the 1880s through the 1950s. As the area thrived and population increased, steamboats began to carry passengers and freight around the Peninsula and to Tacoma in the 1880s. Car ferries began to transport automobiles between Gig Harbor and Tacoma in 1917. The first Narrows Bridge, linking Gig Harbor and the Peninsula to Tacoma, was completed in July of 1940. It soon became known as “Galloping Gertie,” “Galloping” because of its rocking motion in strong winds and “Gertie” because it was made of girders. The bridge collapsed in a windstorm just four months after completion. The existing bridge opened to traffic in 1950.”
During our stay Tony and Monika escorted us to a mature but open dinning facility located within easy walking distance from the marina. The food was exquisite, with certain warmth gained from the conversation that could only be obtained from two families who were accustomed to both the pains and exuberance of a knowledge of military life and deployments, as well as a shared interest in History and sailing. Barb and I took delight in learning how to properly “taste” wine, and by then end of the evening we were less then sober. We bid our friends Farewell (they had positioned a vehicle near the marina for a drive home) and we settled down into our little lady for a quiet evening. All in all, a perfect first day.
